Hogwarts Angel
by De'esse Gothique
Summary: Oof, unhunh, erg, MEOW! lol all joking aside, this story is about a hacker who goes to Hogwarts. some original characters, maybe some slash later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but my own imagination and plot line. If you do not recognize the characters, they belong to me. If you recognize them, they belong to JKR.**

**WARNING: NOT CANON! Very little in this story is canon, simply because in most cases, I just didn't care for the canon pairings. Forgive me for switching things around, hmm?**

_Another year, another school,_ Angel thought cynically as she felt the train jostling and clanking as it left the station. _I wonder how different this one will be._ She laughed to herself. _What am I thinking? These schools are all the same, even if it is a boarding school. How different can it be?_ She looked again at the letter that, strangely enough, had arrived tied to the leg of an owl.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry," was the name embossed on the front. _This could be interesting,_ she thought. She looked again at the list of supplies she'd had to buy. _Very interesting._

_begin flashback_

The letter had given instructions about how to get to a place called Diagon Alley. Those she had disregarded, since it involved going through a pub. _No one is going to allow an eleven-year-old girl into a pub without an adult to supervise her,_ Angel thought again. But the letter had also given very helpful instructions as to what shops to go to and who to see to get the best quality stuff. All the shops save three had been computerized, and thus were hackable. Fortunately she hadn't needed to hack them, as they also had websites. She bought all the items she needed online, but nowhere could she find a website or computerized accounts for the wand store listed in her letter. But Angel hadn't let that stop her. One Google search for stores carrying magic wands and ten minutes later, she had directions to a wand shop that _didn't_include going through a pub. Instead, it required going through what was, ironically enough, her favorite coffee shop, The Black Magic Rose. She'd never really bought into the whole Wiccan magic-is-real theory, but it was an interesting idea. She liked the atmosphere of the Wiccan bookstore/coffee shop, and the coffee was good. And cheap.

She'd followed the directions on the site, and emerged into a world filled with the mysterious and arcane. _Eli's Emporium: Anything you need for ANYTHING you might want to do,_ proclaimed the sign on one shop. Jars full of what appeared to be human eyeballs peered out at her through the window of the shop. Angel smiled as she remembered her gasp of shock as one of them blinked at her. She'd looked down the street towards the place where the wand shop should be. _Zabini's Wands and Other Magical Instruments_ read the sign above the door. Angel went into the shop and rang the bell on the counter. She was surprised when a young man barely old enough to be her father emerged from the back of the shop. She'd been expecting someone more…ancient, to be truthful. He glanced at her, then looked behind her, presumably for an adult escort. Seeing none, he glanced back at Angel with some surprise.

"Excuse me sir. I'd like to buy a wand, if I may."

"I'm sorry," he replied. "I'm expecting a customer with an appointment for this time. She contacted me online to set it up."

"Yes, yes, you're expecting right?" She smiled at him.

"Why yes, how did you know that?" He looked at her suspiciously.

"I am the Avenging Angel. Your appointment is with me. Now may we get around to business?" she replied coldly.

"Yes, yes. I'm sorry, I thought you'd be…older somehow. Is this your first wand?" he asked warily.

"Yes, it is. Is that going to be a problem, Mr. Zabini?" Angel pinned him with a dangerous stare. She could hack his accounts, completely ruin every aspect of his life, and she knew it. Idly, she wondered how often he checked his website, and how badly she could ruin his business if she hacked it and…changed a few things. _Hmmm, if he openly suggests I go somewhere else, I think I'll do that. Could be potentially fun._

"Oh, no problem, it's just that generally first year students at Hogwarts are encouraged to go to Ollivander's for their wands. Most first years are incapable of handling the power of advanced wands such as mine," he replied.

_He's pushing his luck, _Angel thought, keeping the dangerous look but raising an eyebrow. _One more comment advocating Ollivander's, and his site is so hacked._

"But maybe you could handle one. Come with me, and we'll find out." He turned and headed off toward the back of the shop. _Good boy,_ thought Angel as she followed him into the back.

She left the shop that day with a ten-inch rowan wand with a core of dragon heartstring and kneazel fur. She'd been assured that kneazels, which were small, mischievous creatures that looked like a cross between a cat and a weasel, had very powerful fur that was used for many magical purposes.

She wandered over to Diagon Alley to get her robes, but Madam Malkin's shop was far too crowded for Angel's tastes. She tended to avoid crowds as a general rule. She'd noticed a shop on the same street as the wand shop that didn't look too crowded. It also looked like it had some really classy stuff, too. _I think it was called Knockturn Boutique,_ she mused as she walked along. Soon she spotted a signpost that read Knockturn Alley. _Huh, _she thought._ Must be down here._ She ambled down that way and smiled to herself as she passed Zabini's place.

"Bloody hell, I'm good," she muttered.

She found and entered the boutique. The proprietress took one look at her clothes and said, "I'm sorry, but we don't take Muggle money here. You'll have to go to Madam Malkin's."

_Bitch_, thought Angel as she walked out._ I'll be damned if I'll go to that crowded place again._ She thought about what the proprietress had said, and suddenly an idea began to form in her mind. She turned and left Knockturn Alley. What she needed could only be found in London proper. She went back to her apartment and got on her computer. She got online and Googled Gringotts Bank. Using their website, she created an account for herself, then transferred half of the money in her bank account into her Gringotts account. She proceeded to exchange her "Muggle" money for the wizarding money she would obviously need. She memorized the chart stating the rate of exchange, and what coin equaled how much. She sent her computer back to sleep, and went back through the coffee shop to Knockturn Alley. She knew what to expect this time, so she moved quickly and confidently onto Diagon Alley. She looked neither to the left, nor to the right, but went straight to Gringotts Bank, and made a sizeable withdrawal. _Hmm, I'm going to have to do quite a bit of freelance hacking to cover that, _she thought as she headed down Diagon Alley.

As she neared the entrance to Knockturn Alley, a small dark-haired blur streaked past her. Out of instinct, she grabbed the small boy's arm, swung him up, and set him on her hip.

"Whoa, there! Where do you think you're going in such a hurry?" she asked him.

Just then, she heard a commotion behind them.

"James! James Remus Potter, you get back here this instant! You are NOT under any circumstances allowed to go down Knockturn Alley!" Angel turned to see what all the shrieking was about.

"Your name wouldn't happen to be James Remus Potter, would it?" Angel asked the boy wryly. She laughed when the boy nodded cheekily and smiled.

"Well, how old are you, James?"

"I'm five years old," he said proudly. "I turned five yesterday."

"Is that your mum chasing you?"

"Yeah, she thinks I'm too young to see what's down Knockturn Alley. But she won't tell me what's so bad about it." He pouted slightly.

"Well James, I'm going to have to agree to with your mother on this one. The people down there really aren't the nicest." Angel smiled at him. Just then, James's mother ran up, panting heavily.

"Thank God you caught him! I was beginning to think I'd _never_ catch up with him, he's so fast! We were shopping for school supplies for my daughter, she's going into her first year at Hogwarts, and he _completely_ got away from me! I had no idea he would do that." She shifted her shopping bags around to shake hands with Angel.

"Wow! You're not much older than my Lily! Where did she go? By the way, I'm Hermione Potter, the Headmaster's wife. Lily? Oh, there you are. Lily this is—oh, I'm sorry, I didn't get our name." Mrs. Potter blushed.

"Angel. Angel Markham," she smiled. "And it's really okay, Mrs. Potter. Umm, I'm really sorry, but I'm going to have to run if I want to get to a shop before it closes. It was really nice meeting you both. Maybe I'll get to see you at school, Lily." She handed James back to his mother and started toward Knockturn Alley.

"Oh, but darling, surely you're not headed down _that_ awful place, are you?" Mrs. Potter asked.

Angel turned and pinned Mrs. Potter with a stare that would have given a murderer pause. "As a matter of fact, I was. Why do you ask?" Angel replied politely but coldly.

"Oh it's just that—what would your parents say?" Mrs. Potter asked, flustered by the way Angel was suddenly acting.

"My parents are dead. I've raised myself for the last six years, Mrs. Potter. I am an adult in every way but legally, and I don't like being treated like I know next to nothing simply because I'm a child. I honestly like you, and I hope we can be friends. But not if you insist on treating me like a child." Angel smiled sadly. "Are we clear on that?"

"But—please don't take offense to this, Angel—you _are_ a child still, and there are things down there no child should see. I know what's down there, and that's why my kids aren't allowed to go." Mrs. Potter was wringing her hands nervously.

"No offense taken, Mrs. Potter. And no offense, but there are things in this world that are worse than anything that Alley has to offer. I've seen them all, Mrs. Potter, and even done a few of them. But you're right, I wouldn't allow my kids down there if I were you." She smiled at Lily and little James. "They're far too sweet and innocent for anything Knockturn Alley has to offer." Having said that, Angel turned and entered Knockturn Alley.

_What a strange girl,_ thought Hermione Potter as she watched Angel walk away. She gasped and started forward as a man grabbed Angel's arm and made as if to take off with her. She watched as Angel dug in her heels, glanced pointedly down at the man's hand on her arm, glared up at the man, and quietly spoke a few words. She watched as the man let go of Angel, and bowed to her, apologizing profusely. She watched as Angel calmly moved down the street and out of sight._ What a strange girl_, Mrs. Potter thought again.

Angel, after threatening to destroy the man's life and then end it slowly and painfully, went calmly down to the Knockturn Boutique to implement her plan.

Angel walked into the boutique and glanced around, looking for that bitch of a proprietress that had been there before. Not seeing her, Angel glanced at the robes hanging on the racks._ Hmm, not bad,_ she thought. _Very edgy, almost __Goth__-chic._ Goth-chic clothing was Angel's one weakness, other than computer accessories. Looking around, she still didn't see the proprietress, so she rang the bell on the counter. _Well, what do you know, _Angel thought when she appeared from the back of the shop. _She actually lowers herself enough to answer the call of a bell._ Angel smiled tightly at her. As she did, she noticed the woman's name tag, which read Pansy Parkinson. _Pansy.__ Fitting name for a robe-maker, _thought Angel snidely.

Pansy looked Angel over insultingly, then spoke. "Look, kid. I told you once that we don't take Muggle money here. Now go run home to your mommy and get her to take you to Madam Malkin's tomorrow." Pansy smiled sweetly at Angel, who was utterly furious. It was this unreasoning fury that perhaps made Angel a little crueler than she needed to have been.

"You know what you are, Pansy?" Angel asked her. "You're a witch. And you know what the Bible says to do with witches? It says to kill them, to burn them. I know of a few Christians who believe in following _everything_ the Bible says, and have the money and power to have you and your precious little shop _burned to the ground._ After I completely and totally destroy your business. Do you want that? Do you really want me to take this—" she pulled out the bag of wizard coins she'd withdrawn from Gringotts, "to Madam Malkin? Hmm? Say so one more time, and I'll leave now. You'll never see me or my money again." She smiled sweetly at Pansy.

An hour later, a pale and shaking Pansy handed Angel the robes she'd ordered and been fitted for. She went happily home and packed her bags. Her pet was awake, and he chattered questioningly at her as he flew around the room. She told him they were moving again, and he went into a kamikaze dive straight at her face. She waved him off, and continued packing. He'd always hated moving; it took their new landlords too long to get used to a tenant who had a pet bat.

end flashback

Lost in her own thoughts, Angel didn't hear the train's compartment door open. She only realized someone was there when Asylum chattered challengingly at the intruder. She looked up to find Lily Potter, and two of her friends. Lily introduced them as Keven and Narcissa Malfoy. Apparently, they were fraternal twins. Keven was a lanky redhead who looked like he might have the potential to be an underwear model later on, and Narcissa was a beautiful platinum blonde who looked as if she'd be a shoo-in for an ice princess role. In reality, they both appeared to be warm and caring kids, if a bit innocent for Angel's taste.

More or less listening to them converse around her, Angel was the first one to hear the compartment door hiss open again. She glanced up to see a young girl no older than they sneering at the occupants of the compartment.

"Bloody bunch of Muggle-lovers," she muttered as she turned to leave.

"Excuse me? What did you say?" Angel asked dangerously.

"Oh, nothing," said the girl breezily as she started to leave the compartment.

"Oh, no…" Angel said, grabbing the girl's robes and jerking her into a seat across from her. "You _will_ tell me what you just said and why you said it, and you will tell me _now_." Angel loomed threateningly over the girl, who was now pale and shaken.

"You have no right to do this to me! You have no idea who I am, or what my family can do to you! You can't _treat_ me like this!" she cried.

"Well then, why don't you just tell us who you are? But don't bother telling me what your family can do to me. It'll only bore me, since it's probably already been tried," Angel said softly.

"My name is Patricia Parkinson, and my mother owns the Knockturn Boutique. If I say the word, you'll never get any more clothes from there in your life!"

Angel laughed softly. "If _I _say the word, your mother's business is destroyed, her shop burned to the ground. The name and location of your father will be tortured out of her, and then I'll destroy his business. I'll burn it to the ground, too. And who knows? I might decide to be nice and hire an assassin to kill him quickly rather than slowly torture him to death like I will your mother." Angel smiled dangerously at the girl. "Have I made myself clear, or do you still want to screw with my friends here?"

Patricia was openly crying now. "Y-yes! J-just l-let me g-go! I s-swear I'll n-never b-bother y-you again! J-just l-let me g-go!" she blubbered.

Satisfied that she'd leave them alone in the future, Angel sat down across from Patricia. "Go on, get out of here. And don't come back."

"Th-thank you!" Patricia cried as she ran out the compartment door.

Satisfied with herself, Angel settled back in her seat and glanced at her new friends. They were staring at her in shock, their jaws on the floor. Angel looked from one to the other, a confused look on her face.

"Whaaat?" she asked warily. "Was it something I said?"

"You…might say that," answered Keven. Angel's new friends laughed shakily.


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a few original characters and a plotline. If you recognize the characters, they belong to JKR. If you don't recognize them, they're mine.**

Upon arrival at Hogwarts, the first year students were ushered into a small room off the Great Hall. Having read Hogwarts: A Revised History online, Angel knew this was where the assistant headmaster traditionally explained the Sorting Ceremony. She'd read all of the characteristics the Sorting Hat looked for when Sorting the new students, and Angel figured she'd be Sorted into Slytherin. She was okay with that, though. She didn't care where they put her as long as she could access the Internet. She'd found a book of spells in the witchcraft section of the Black Magic Rose, and one of those spells, when cast on a computer, allowed that computer to access the Internet from anywhere in the world without wires or a router. She'd immediately cast the spell on her laptop, and so far it had worked. _I'll find out soon enough if it'll work at Hogwarts,_ she thought as the speech ended and the first years filed into the Great Hall.

She watched as the students were Sorted into each house. For some reason, they all appeared so nervous. Angel couldn't understand it. Keven and Narcissa were directly ahead of her, and everyone seemed shocked when they were sorted into Gryffindor. She wanted to ask why, but her name was the next one called. She moved up to the front of the Great Hall, and picked up the Sorting Hat. She sat down, and placed it on her head. _Hmm, _it muttered in her head._ Very difficult, very difficult indeed. The cunning and disregard for rules suggest Slytherin, but the loyalty to friends__ and family suggest Hufflepuff. You have a fairness and cleverness to you that suggests Ravenclaw, but underneath it all, you have the heart of a-- "GRYFFINDOR!" _the Sorting Hat announced to the applause and cheers from the Gryffindor table. The atmosphere was contagious, and Angel found herself smiling as she joined them. She soon lost count of how many people clapped her on the back, hugged her, and welcomed her to Hogwarts.

Angel noticed that the Slytherins booed when Lily got Sorted into Gryffindor, and asked why. She was told of the rivalry between Slytherin House and Gryffindor House, and that Slytherins always booed when a first year got Sorted into Gryffindor. The Malfoy twins' cousins told her it used to be much worse, but then the current Head of Slytherin House married the current Head of Gryffindor House.

"When Uncle Draco married Aunt Ginny, a lot of that rivalry was tamped down. But now that Keven and Narcissa got Sorted into Gryffindor, I suspect that everything is going to flare back up again," one of the Weasley twins told her. She couldn't remember if it was Luna or Lupa; they were identical, so it was next to impossible to tell them apart.

"Why would everything flare up again, just because they got Sorted into Gryffindor?" Angel asked, confused.

"Didn't you know? They're the first Malfoys in _centuries_ that weren't Sorted into Slytherin. And the Slytherins will feel it adds insult to injury that they were Sorted into Gryffindor! It's great!" the other twin added. Angel thought it was Lupa, because she wore a silver wolf's head charm on her necklace, but she couldn't be sure. She wouldn't put it past the twins to switch necklaces just to confuse everyone. She'd probably just start calling them both Elle, to save a bit of confusion if she couldn't figure out which was which. She'd always like the name Elle anyway.

Finally, though, dinner was over. She'd been told her luggage would be waiting for her when she got to her common room, and all she could think of as she followed the Gryffindor prefect was _I hope they took good care of my laptop._ She wished the prefect would hurry up; she wanted to get to her laptop and see if that spell would work at Hogwarts. She paid enough attention to the prefect's speech to get the common room password, but beyond that, she ignored him. Everything else he said, she'd learned from Hogwarts: A Revised History.

Everyone's luggage was in the middle of the common room, and Angel found hers fairly quickly. Hers was, after all, the only trunk that had a computer bag attached to it. She took her luggage up, and settled onto a bunk. Lily and Narcissa came up shortly after and occupied the other two bunks in the room. They looked quizzically at her computer bag, until she pulled out her favorite laptop. She'd put her others in Gringotts before she came; she didn't think she'd need anything more for just one year at Hogwarts. She looked around for a place to plug in her "baby" as she called it, but soon realized that there wasn't one.

"Are there no electrical outlets in Hogwarts?" Angel asked curiously.

"None," Lily replied. "Most electronics don't work at Hogwarts. The magical energy seems to disrupt the electrical current too much."

_Hmmm, _thought Angel._ Back to the old spellbook…_

She dug in her trunk and pulled out the book she'd bought in the coffee shop. She started to leaf through it, but stopped when Lily let out a shaky breath.

"What's wrong?" Narcissa asked.

"I just…feel dizzy and sick all of a sudden," Lily replied. "I think it might have something to do with…that book." She pointed to Angel's spellbook.

"Just a minute and I'll put it away," Angel said. "I think I've found what I need…" She memorized the spell, and put the book away. She pulled out her wand, laid the computer on her bed, and cast the spell. An eerie purple glow emerged from her wand and encompassed the computer for a second before fading out. Angel almost cheered, but stopped when she heard a groan from Lily, a thud, and Narcissa's ensuing gasp. She looked over to see Lily passed out on her bunk.

"What happened?" Angel asked Narcissa.

"I don't know, she was fine, but then you cast that spell and she just groaned and fainted!" Narcissa explained almost hysterically.

Just then, two wizards and a witch burst through the door, looking around dangerously.

"Who cast that Dark spell in here a few minutes ago?" asked the blond wizard. "And why is Lily…oh my Lord, what happened here? Is she still alive?"

The redheaded witch put a comforting hand on the blond's shoulder. "It's okay, Draco," she said. "Look at her, Lily's still breathing. She doesn't appear to be harmed. I'm sure she's fine."

Angel realized these must be Keven and Narcissa's parents. "Hi, I'm Angel. I was the one who cast the spell, but I didn't realize it was Dark magic. I found it in a spellbook I bought before school, and was trying to reconfigure my laptop to run on magical energy. When I cast the spell, Lily just…passed out. It was almost like…well, looking back on it now, it was almost like she was allergic to the Dark magic."

The dark-haired wizard seemed to ponder it for a second, then nodded. He turned to her, and held out a hand.

"The book, please. I'd like to dispose of it before I revive her," he told Angel. She dug the book out of her bag, and handed it to him. He looked at it, murmuring.

"Yes, it's definitely a book of Dark origin. Where did you say you bought it? I thought we'd eliminated all the books of this type…" said the dark-haired wizard.

"We did, Harry," Ginny Malfoy replied. "This book was written by Marcus Zabini, apparently just a few years ago. He was suspected of being a Death Eater, remember? But nothing could be proven."

"Hmm, I seem to remember something about that. Wasn't he Blaise's uncle or something?" asked the dark-haired wizard.

"Uncle. Markus was a good friend of my father's. I think they were in the same year at school. He was most likely a Death Eater, most of my father's friends were, after all," Draco interjected.

"Very true. Draco, if you will, take care of this while I revive my daughter?" He handed the book off to Draco and watched him leave. Angel realized the dark-haired wizard must be Lily's father, and therefore…oh shit. She'd just unknowingly knocked the headmaster's daughter out, and now she'd have to face him.

When Professor Malfoy had left the room, the headmaster turned to Angel.

"Miss Markham, I'll need you to come with me as soon as I'm sure Lily will be alright. You are aware of the restrictions on the use of the Dark Arts on Hogwarts grounds, are you not?"

"I am," Angel replied. "I was not aware that the book contained Dark magic, nor was I aware when I purchased the book that there was such a thing as Dark magic. But I am prepared to take full responsibility for my actions, and I'll serve any punishment you see fit to give me."

"Very well, then." The headmaster pointed his wand at Lily. "_Revivify!"_ he shouted. Lily came awake with a start.

"What happened? And why are you in here, Dad?" Lily asked.

"You fainted, darling," he responded. "And I'm here because the spell Angel cast was a Dark spell."

Lily gaped at her new friend. "Why would you even _think_ about using Dark magic at Hogwarts? I wouldn't have thought you that stupid!" she exclaimed.

"She didn't know it was a Dark spell, Lily," Narcissa spoke quietly. "Some Dark spells and artifacts don't seem evil, but they are. It's just like people. Some don't seem evil, but if you dig down far enough, they are. And some good people seem evil at first, but they have a good heart." Narcissa looked over at Angel. "You're one of those people. You come across as being…a bad girl, and that's what you want people to think. But underneath it all, you have a good heart. I've seen true evil, and met people who practice it. They know what they're doing, and they know the potential consequences." She looked haunted, as if she was thinking of a horrible memory. "Trust me, Angel. You're nothing like them."

The headmaster seemed to ponder her words, then ordered Lily to the hospital wing. He turned to leave, then looked back at Angel. "Miss Markham, follow me, if you will. We'll discuss your punishment in my office." The slight smile he directed toward Angel gave her hope that it wouldn't be too severe.

Angel followed the Boy Who Lived through the halls of Hogwarts to the headmaster's office, grateful that he hadn't left her to find it on her own. They came to a door, guarded by a statue of a gargoyle. Angel gasped when the statue came alive and moved to block the door. The headmaster simply said, "Albus Dumbledore," and the statue moved aside. He patter the gargoyle's head as he moved past it and opened the door.

"Miss Markham, my office." He held the door open for her and smiled. She entered the office, and looked around in wonder. Paintings of what she assumed were former headmasters decorated every wall, and there was even one on the ceiling. The subject of the painting was a kindly-looking old man with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He seemed to be the type of man she'd always imagined her grandfather would be, except her grandparents disapproved so strongly of her parents' lifestyle that they disowned their own children over it. Lost in her own thoughts, Angel didn't notice the headmaster staring intently at her. "That's Albus Dumbledore," he informed her. "He was headmaster when I was a student." He smiled reminiscently. "He always did love being different."

Angel jumped, then blushed. "I…never knew my grandparents. I wished…I guess I always wished my grandfather would be the type of man he seems to be." She glance up at the painting again.

"I'm sorry. I never knew my parents, but I always wished I had. But enough of that. Care to explain what Narcissa was talking about when she mentioned what happened on the train?" He glared at her, but the mischievous glint in his eye belied the seriousness of it.

"Erm, pardon the language, but…some spoiled little bitch looked in the compartment and insulted Kevin, Narcissa, and Lily. So I threatened to utterly destroy everything she held dear, and everything that made her the spoiled little bitch she is. I guess I described it a little too vividly, but…I wanted to be sure she'd never do anything to harm or insult my friends again," Angel explained.

"And will she?" the headmaster asked, trying to hide a grin.

"I doubt it, but if she does, I'll give her a little reminder. Nothing too harsh, just enough to shake her up a bit."

Grinning openly now, he muttered, "Sounds like something we'd have done."

"Will I be receiving punishment for that, as well?" Angel asked resignedly.

"No, I don't think that will be necessary," he responded. "Not a year went by when I didn't have problems with Kevin and Narcissa's father on the train. We didn't get along near as well then as we do now." He smiled reminiscently. "However, I will have to punish you for using Dark magic on school grounds, even if you used it unknowingly. We can't have the other students thinking they can get away with it, now can we?"

Angel shook her head, then looked up in surprise when he asked her what punishment she thought would be fair.

"I…don't know, sir. I'm…not familiar with the punishment system here," she replied.

"Well, I think fifty points from Gryffindor, and three days' detention with the Care of Magical Creatures professor should do the trick. I'll warn you though," he said, eyes twinkling. "Professor Weasley tends to like dangerous creatures. Do you think you can handle that?"

Angel grinned at him. "Do I really have a choice? The punishment has been set. Although personally, I think I need a week's detention with the Care of Magical Creatures professor," she wheedled.

The headmaster laughed. "I don't think _that_ will be necessary, with the fifty points from Gryffindor. But maybe you can work something out with Professor Weasley for the times you're out of class." He walked toward the door. "It's almost curfew, but if you hurry, you may be able to make it back to the dorms. I'm sorry to have kept you so late."

Angel looked at him uncertainly. "Do you…maybe…have a map? I'm not sure I can find my way back before curfew."

He looked at her thoughtfully, then nodded decisively. "I have one, but you _must_ keep it secret. If caught with this, you must _never_ reveal how you got it. Do you understand?"

Angel nodded, then watched as he moved over to a cabinet and unlocked it. He reached into the back and did something that made a secret drawer spring open. He rummaged through the drawer and pulled out an old piece of parchment.

"This map is highly unique, and I'll have to show you how to use it." He placed the tip of his wand on the parchment and intoned, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

Angel watched in fascination as ink spread out from the tip of his wand to form words on the parchment. _Messrs. Moony, __Wormtail__Padfoot__, and Prongs, Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers, are proud to present The Marauder's Map._She watched as the ink threaded out from the intricate letters to form a map of Hogwarts. She noticed small dots of ink and names above the dots.

"Are those…_people_?" she asked incredulously.

"Yes, they are." He pointed to a small room with two dots in it. "We are here."

Angel looked closer, and saw their names above their respective dots. He touched the tip of his wand to that room, and simply said, "Zoom." She watched as the face of the map acted like a camera lens and zoomed in on the room. Angel gasped when she realized they were now people, instead of dots, and she could see exactly what they were doing. She waved, and watched as the ink and parchment version of herself waved too.

Harry smiled. He couldn't help it; he liked the girl. She reminded him of himself when he was that age. Oh, not completely. She was far too willing to exploit her gifts, and take responsibility for her actions to have been him at that age. He'd never wanted to take a punishment for something he'd done, and had always tried to get out of it if possible. But he'd loved using the Marauder's Map, ever since he'd acquired it in his third year. He sensed that Angel Markham would enjoy it every bit as much as he had.

Angel looked up suddenly, and saw the headmaster smiling at her oddly. She took a brief moment to wonder about that smile, but then had to ask, "What are the activation and deactivation spells? I need to learn them now if I'm to get back to the dorm before curfew."

"The activation spell consists of merely touching your wand to the parchment and saying 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'"

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Angel repeated to herself. "And the spell to zoom in is simply 'zoom'?"

"Correct. The spell to zoom out is the same. You wipe the map simply by touching your wand to the map and saying, 'Mischief managed.' That's all there is to it."

"Thank you. Do you need this back later?"

"No, I believe we need a new generation of mischief-makers at Hogwarts." He grinned. "Makes life interesting."

"Well, I'll just head back to the dorm now, and sorry for the Dark magic business earlier. I really didn't know."

"I've come to that conclusion. I'm sure I'll see you later in the term; that map, in the hands of certain people, would ensure it."

Angle left, and checked the map. She followed the instructions, and just before she entered the common room, she tapped her wand to the parchment and whispered, "Mischief managed." She watched the ink fade out and disappear, until the map simply looked like a scrap of old parchment. She put it in her pocket, entered the common room, and went up to the dorm. It was rather late, so she was surprised to find Lily and Narcissa waiting up for her.

"So what happened?" Lily asked.

"Yeah, how much trouble did you get in?" Narcissa followed.

"Not much, really. Fifty points from Gryffindor, and three days' detention with Professor Weasley. You know, the Care of Magical Creatures professor." Angel grinned. "It sounds like it's going to be fun, actually."

"Oh, I don't know…" Narcissa said thoughtfully. "Uncle Charlie used to study dragons in Romania. He likes to play with some really dangerous creatures."

"Yeah, the headmaster warned me about that. Like I said, Narcissa. Sounds like fun. I was angling for a week's detention, but he wouldn't do it. Seemed to think I'd enjoy it too much." She grinned. "But he said I may be able to work something out with Professor Weasley, though…it's a thought."

"Oh, but…" Narcissa started, but thought better of it. "Never mind, you'll find out how bad it can get. And please, call me Cissa. Or Cissy; either one is fine."

Just then, Professor Malfoy poked her head in the door. "Lights out, girls. You've got a busy day tomorrow, and you'll want to be bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for it."

A chorus of groans immediately issued from the girls.

"Okay, Mum," Cissa submitted first. "We'll go to bed."

"Make sure you do. There will be no mercy for you if you fall asleep in my class." She turned and left the dorm. The girls looked at each other and burst into giggles. When they finally recovered, they turned as one and went to bed. Within minutes, they were asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but an original plotline and a few characters. If you recognize a character, they belong to JKR. If you don't, they're mine.**

When the girls went down to breakfast the next morning, they were instantly mobbed. Keven, Luna, and Lupa had heard about the events of the previous night.

"Did you really use Dark magic on school grounds?" Luna asked Angel.

"Yeah, and did you really faint?" Lupa asked Lily.

"Yes, I really used Dark magic on school grounds, though I didn't know it was a Dark spell at the time I cast it. I thought it was just another spell." Angel grinned. "Guess I was wrong, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess!" Luna looked shocked. "That has to be a record, getting called into the headmaster's office on the first night. Not even we've been able to top that!" The twins grinned mischievously at each other. "Though we certainly plan on trying!"

"So did you really faint, Lily? Are you sure you're okay?" Keven seemed concerned.

"Yes, I fainted, Keven," Lily replied. "And believe me, with the fuss my father would have raised, Madam Pomfrey made absolutely certain I was okay," she added dryly.

Cissa noticed the relieved look that flitted across Keven's face. She decided not to say anything, but Keven wasn't so lucky when it came to Luna and Lupa.

"Aww, does ickle Kevvie fancy our Lily?" Lupa cooed.

"Ooo, when the headmaster finds out about this, you won't be able to _breathe_ without him knowing! And you can forget about time alone!" Luna cackled at the very thought.

Keven, who had blushed beet red to the roots of his hair at the first comment, was saved by the arrival of the morning mail. Angel, who had trained her bat to bring her the morning mail long ago, searched the sky for her pet. When she finally spotted him, she almost laughed at how tiny and out of place he looked among the much larger owls. As soon as he spotted her, he went into a dive. He broke the dive, hovered inches in front of her face, and dropped an envelope into her lap. She held out her hand, laughing at what she called his Kamikaze Mail Dive, and he landed, dignified, on her hand.

"Asylum, you crazy little thing," she laughed, ignoring the letter in her lap for the moment as she fed her bat little bits of bacon from her plate. "I'm going to laugh one of these days when you stop too late and end up hitting me in the face!" Asylum nipped her finger, then nuzzled it affectionately.

"I thought you said you were of Muggle birth," Lily frowned. "I don't think I've ever seen a Muggle with a pet bat before."

An older student sitting near them laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen a _pureblood_ with a pet bat before, either," he said.

"Oh, shut up, Ted," Cissa laughed. "Be nice to Angel. She's got detention with Uncle Charlie for the next three nights, so she's got enough on her plate without you picking on her."

"Angel, huh?" Ted glanced over at her. "If she's been using the Dark Arts, she's no angel I've ever heard of!"

"Oh my god!" Angel burst out. "It was a bloody mistake! Besides, I was my parents' little angel, obviously. Otherwise, they wouldn't have named me that." She smirked at Ted, who was laughing uproariously at having gotten under her skin.

"So how did you, a Muggle, come to have a bat trained to bring you your mail?" he asked when he finally settled down. "I'm not a snob or anything, I just thought only witches and wizards had animals trained that way."

"Well, ordinarily, I guess you'd be right. But I'm not ordinary." She grinned; she'd have thought that was obvious just by the fact that she was attending a school for witches and wizards. Ted caught her grin and laughed.

"I found my bat on my doorstep one morning when I went out to get the mail. He hadn't gotten back to his cave because he had a broken wing. So I splinted his wing and took care of him. When he was healed, he just…stayed with me. I tried to release him into the wild, but he wouldn't leave me. So I kept him." She rubbed the top of his head affectionately.

"And the mail part? Why is he trained to bring you mail?" Lily asked.

Angel laughed. "He's trained to bring me the mail because I'm lazy."

"Okay, you're going to have to explain that one," Ted laughed.

"Well we usually lived in London, and the mail there runs really early, usually before dawn, even. I usually let him out at night to hunt, and since he usually came back after dawn, I thought it'd be neat to teach him to pick up the mail on the way in. I didn't really expect it to work, but somehow…it did. So now Asylum is trained to bring me my mail no matter where I am." She opened the envelope in her lap, and pulled out her schedule. "Hmm, Transfigurations followed by Flying, then lunch, which is immediately followed by Defense Against the Dark Arts and Charms. Tomorrow is Potions, Herbology, lunch, Transfigurations, and History of Magic. Not bad, over all."

"Yeah, if you like all your teachers," Ted grunted. "Personally, I hate Potions. Professor Snape may be old, but he doesn't miss a thing. He has a major grudge against Gryffindors, in general, and me in specific. I swear that man hates me with a passion."

"He hates all of us, Teddy," threw in another student. "You know why, too. You've been told our family histories, just like I was. By the way, I'm Albus Potter, Lily's older brother." He extended his hand and Angel shook it before gathering her things.

"It's really nice to meet all of you, but if I'm to make it to Transfigurations on time, I've really got to run. See you at lunch!" Angel turned to leave, but was stopped by a hand on her arm.

"Do you know where you're going? This castle can be pretty tricky if you don't know the way. I'd be glad to show you," Ted offered.

"Erm, no thanks, I think I can find it on my own." Angel blushed slightly at the hoots of laughter from Albus.

As she hurried away, Angel heard Albus teasing Ted, saying, "She's too young for you, mate. She's just a kid!"

"Yeah, well, Uncle Bill was probably about my age when Aunt Fleur was a first year," she heard Ted retort sullenly. Angel couldn't help it, she smiled. A sixth year fancied _her_! It was kind of funny, really. And sort of sweet at the same time. She might consider it when she got a bit older, but not now. Right now, she had enough to deal with.

She got into class a few minutes before it started. She sat down next to Lily and Cissa, who were staring at her curiously.

"Where have you been?" They asked as one. "We thought you were right behind us when we left the Great Hall," Cissa added quietly.

Angel grinned conspiratorially. "You'll never guess. I was with a couple of boys, fifth and sixth years. And one of them, the sixth year, fancies me! It was so sweet…he offered to walk me to class!"

Lily and Cissa twittered excitedly.

"Did you let him?" asked Cissa.

"Did he kiss you?" Lily wanted to know.

"Who was it? Do I get to punch someone?" asked Keven who was sitting nearby.

"No, I didn't let him, so no, he didn't kiss me. And guess, Keven. I never left the Great Hall until I came to class, so it should be fairly easy." Angel turned to the girls and whispered, "I was talking with Ted and Albus, and actually, Ted only offered to show me the way to class. But I think he really does fancy me." They giggled conspiratorially before glancing over at Keven, who just looked confused.

"Okay, class. Let's see who managed to find their way here with no mishaps," Professor Ginny Malfoy began calling roll. "Well, it looks like most of you are here so let's begin. Open your books to page thirteen."


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a few original characters and the plotline! If I did own it all, do you think I'd be scrounging for six dollars so I can go to a concert tonight? ****Hmm?**** No…if you recognize the characters, they belong to JKR. If you don't, they belong to me.**

Transfigurations had been interesting, but Angel was looking forward to her Flying class. Most of her classmates seemed to think it would be boring, but they'd been flying since before they could walk. Angel, on the other hand, hadn't been so lucky. She almost bolted from her seat when Professor Malfoy let them out. Some of her excitement dimmed when she saw a group of first-year Slytherins going down to the Quidditch pitch as well. She wasn't sure what Quidditch was, but that's where her Flying class was held. She couldn't contain her excitement as she ran.

"Oi! Slow down!" She looked behind her for the sourch of the shout, and saw Ted attempting to catch up with her. She stopped and waited for him, and then started walking beside him as he caught his breath.

"Hey, Angel. Excited much?" he asked, grinning at her and panting heavily. A few Slytherin girls twittered nearby upon hearing what they thought was an endearment. She glanced at them, then turned to Ted.

"I'm sorry, we were never really introduced," she said loudly, holding out her hand. "I'm Angel Markham."

Ted took her hand and used it to pull her into a bear hug. "And I'm Ted Lupin," he said when he released her. "It's nice to meet you, _Angel_." He pointedly stressed her name, then they both turned to smile at the Slytherin girls, who glared at them and hurried away. Ted laughed, then pulled Angel underneath his arm as they strolled on toward the pitch.

"So, what brings you to this corner of Hogwarts, other than tormenting first-year Slytherin girls?" Angel asked as she smiled up at him.

He stopped and turned to face her, looking deep into her eyes. "You," he simply said. Her breath caught on a gasp of surprise, but Ted chose to ruin the moment by saying, "Well, you and the other first years. Most of them are like family, and I'd love to see their first official flying lesson." He grinned evilly. "Expect much heckling."

"Well you'll probably get to heckle me a lot; it'll be my first time ever flying on a broomstick," Angel laughed as he tucked her back under his arm and they stepped onto the pitch. Keven, Lily, Cissa, and the other Gryffindors were waiting for Angel, and they gaped at seeing Ted's arm around her shoulders. It finally dawned on Keven that _Ted_ was the sixth-year boy Angel had been talking about in Transfigurations that morning. He stormed over to Ted and shoved him back.

"What the bloody hell?!" Ted burst out. He wasn't sure if he should fight Keven or not. He was so much younger, it really wouldn't be a fair fight. "What was that for?" he asked.

"I swear…if you hurt her, I'll have to kill you, even if you are family!" Keven shoved Ted again.

"We're just _friends_! There's nothing between us! I really don't want to fight with you, Keven. Stop this, before you get hurt," Ted replied, hands in the air in the universal sign for peace.

"You'd better listen to him, Mr. Malfoy," came an adult voice. The students looked around for the source of the voice, and saw two identical red-headed men stepping onto the pitch, wands out. The one that had spoken was missing one ear, but that was the only way to tell them apart.

"Yeah, we'd hate to dock points and give our favorite nephie-poo detention on the first day of classes," the other one teased.

Keven turned to them and grimaced. "Must you always call me that? You know my father hates that."

"Yes, we do," they replied in unison. "Which is precisely why we do it," added the twin with the missing ear.

Ted took the opportunity to sneak away and went to sit in the stands. He knew he'd have to have a talk with Keven later, and he wasn't looking forward to it. _Why is Keven so concerned about Angel? I thought he fancied Lily,_ Ted wondered to himself._ I'll have to find out when I talk to him, _he thought.

Meanwhile, down on the pitch, the Professors Weasley had called roll, introduced themselves, and had laid out the broomsticks. They instructed each student to move next to a broomstick.

"Now extend your right hand over your broom," instructed Professor Fred. Professor George followed with, "Now say the word 'Up!' firmly, and the broom should magically jump into your hand."

"Up!" the students shouted in unison.

Angel's broom leapt immediately into her hand. She looked down at it, surprised at how comfortable it felt to be holding a broomstick that was magically hovering in the air. She smiled when she realized just how bizarre her life had gotten in just a short time.

"Okay, now mount your broom, keeping both feet firmly on the ground until we check you. We need to make sure everyone is in a safe riding position."

Angel heard a voice saying loudly, "I've done this _loads_ of times; I don't need a couple of crackpot Muggle-lovers to check that I'm in a 'safe riding position'! Watch!" Angel looked over to the source of the voice and saw a short, skinny, dark-haired Slytherin boy rise into the air on his broomstick.

"Mr. MacNair! Dismount the broom _now_," The professors shouted. It didn't seem to make much of a difference as the boy rose higher and higher. He zoomed off, circled the Quidditch pitch, and ducked low over his broom as he went through one of the two tallest goalposts. He zoomed back to the center of the pitch, where he attempted to do a loop-the-loop. His grip on the broom slipped at the top of the loop, however, and he was left hanging; the only thing keeping him from falling was the fact that his legs were criss-crossed over the broom handle. He just hung there, yelling for help.

Angel, not even thinking about what she was doing, rose into the air on her broom. She flew, by instinct rather than skill, up to where the boy was hanging. She grabbed him beneath the arms and pulled him onto her broom, then grabbed his broomstick before flying back down to the ground. As soon as they touched the ground, Slytherins and Gryffindors alike burst into applause; clapping, cheering, and laughing. The professors Weasley came and checked them over, making sure they were okay. Then Professor Fred turned to the boy.

"Daniel MacNair…let's see, I think twenty points from Slytherin and a week's detention should suffice for such reckless and dangerous behavior, don't you, George?"

"Yes, I rather think so. And fifty points to Gryffindor for such a spectacular save," replied Professor George. He turned to Angel. "Have you ever flown before, Miss Markham?"

"No, never," she answered.

"Incredibly risky, but spectacular, all the same," Professor Fred muttered.

"Jumping toadstools!" exclaimed the boy, whose name was apparently Daniel. "Not only was I saved by a Gryffindor; that was bad enough, but a bloody Muggle? Mother will be so ashamed of me!"

"Watch your language!" Professor George snapped.

"And what were you supposed to do?" Professor Fred questioned. "Refuse all help from Muggles and half-bloods, and just hang there until a pureblood happens along? I bloody well think not!"

"Watch your bloody language!" Professor George snapped.

"You watch yours!" Professor Fred shot back.

They dismissed the class seconds later, grinning, amidst gales of laughter from their students.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a few original characters and the plotline! If I did own it all, do you think I'd be scrounging for enough money so that I can eat lunch at college ****everyday****Hmm?**** No…if you recognize the characters, they belong to JKR. If you don't, they belong to me.**

"So you really hadn't flown before today?" Ted asked, joining Angel, Cissa, Lily, and Keven as they walked back up to the castle for lunch.

"Honestly, I've never flown before in my life!" Angel protested.

"Well, that was certainly a fantastic bit of flying for someone who has never flown before in her life," laughed Ted.

"And he knows what he's talking about; he's captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team," Lily interjected.

"Maybe you should see if Mum will let you play for Gryffindor," suggested Keven. "I hear we need a new Chaser."

"We do," Ted confirmed. "One of our best graduated last year."

"You really should at least try," Cissa said quietly. "There's no harm in that."

"Okay, okay! You win! I'll talk to her," Angel capitulated, laughing.

Angel had more fun that day than she could remember having since before her parents died. She ate with her new friends, laughing and joking their way through lunch and all the way to their Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Angel found that class extremely interesting, especially when she realized the Wiccan bookstore and coffee shop near her apartment was jam-packed _full_ of books about the Dark Arts.

As Professor Draco Malfoy dismissed his class, he told the students, "If you detect and identify an object containing Dark magic using what you've learned today, do _not_ touch it, and report it to a staff member_ immediately_. It's more than likely to be extremely dangerous, and you may end up either dead or permanently, irreversibly cursed if you bother it."

Angel walked up to him after class and said, "Professor, sir…the entrance from Knockturn Alley into the Muggle world—do you know of it?"

"A coffee shop and bookstore, isn't it? I haven't been there in years, so it may have changed, but yes, I know of it. Why?" He looked at her curiously.

"Well, applying what you taught us today, how to identify objects bespelled by or containing Dark magic, I realized that bookstore is_ completely full_ of objects just such as that. And I know you meant objects on school grounds when you told us to report them, but…I thought you should know."

"Yes, thank you, Miss Markham. I'll take care of it as soon as I can. You did the right thing," Professor Malfoy said, then wrote her a note to excuse her tardiness to Charms class.

When Angel arrived at the Charms classroom, she was pleased to discover that she wasn't too terribly late. Professor Thomas had just finished taking attendance when she walked in and handed her the note. Professor Thomas excused her tardiness, and Angel took a seat next to her friends.

"Class, one of the very first charms we're going to learn in this class is the_Wingardium__Leviosa_ charm," Professor Thomas began. "Who can tell me what this charm does?"

Cissa raised her hand.

"Yes, Miss Malfoy," the professor acknowledged.

"It's a temporary flying charm, isn't it?"

"Close, Miss Malfoy, but it's really more of a Hovering Charm," replied the professor. "Allow me to demonstrate. _Wingardium__Leviosa_" The chalk she'd pointed her wand at zoomed up in the air and followed the movements of her wand, writing the words _Wingardium__Leviosa_ on the blackboard. The class ooh'ed and aah'ed appropriately, then began to listen as she explained what they'd be doing that day.

"We'll start off simply. You'll cast the charm on the cushion I've set out before each of you. Then, using your wands, you'll flick them over and set them down in the box by the window." She gave the class a fierce glare before continuing. "For those of you who master this charm quickly, points will be deducted for each cushion going anywhere _except_ that box. This means no cushions flying out the window to fall on unsuspecting students below, and no cushion wars inside or outside the classroom."

Angel grinned. _Professor Thomas takes all the fun out of things,_ she thought. No matter, Angel knew she could find a way around that. She eyed the path from her cushion to the box, noting gleefully that the back of Keven's head seemed to be in her way. _Hmm,_ she thought. _I'd wager I could bounce it off the back of his head and ricochet it into the box. And it could be passed off as an accident, so she couldn't take points off…_ She turned to Cissa and Lily and explained her plan. They giggled, then agreed.

Angel went first. She pointed her wand at the cushion, and muttered "_Wingardium__Leviosa__!" _She was pleased to note that the cushion rose instantly. She flicked her wand carelessly toward the box, smirking as her cushion ricocheted off the back of Keven's head and sailed into the box. Cissa and Lily snickered quietly at the shocked look on Keven's face. He glared over at Angel, who was trying not to laugh.

"Sorry," she shrugged, seconds before her laughter escaped.

"Oh, don't worry. I'll get you back for that," he shot back.

The next shot was Cissa's, who did a much better job of acting contrite than Angel had. Keven had just levitated his own cushion when Lily took her shot, which sent Keven's cushion flying out the window. As soon as the cushion left the classroom, it fell. They heard an exclamation of surprise from what sounded like an unsuspecting Professor Snape, causing the girls to snicker and congratulate themselves on a job well done.

"Five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Malfoy. You heard what I said about cushions out the window," said Professor Thomas, trying to keep a straight face.

"But it was an accident!" Keven protested.

"Yes, but the administration frowns on cushions falling on unsuspecting pedestrians entering the building. They might not all be students or professors, and Headmaster Potter would rather his important Ministry guests not be pelted by falling pillows." She almost said they might not all be as much of a git as Professor Snape, but she restrained herself at the last moment. A professor was not to speak ill of another professor, even if they were as awful as Professor Snape.

The girls continued their little game, and Keven was visibly sulking by the end of class. He wouldn't even walk with them as they went to the library to work on their DADA homework. Instead, he went back to the Gryffindor common room to plot a suitable revenge. When he got there, he saw Ted and Albus lounging around before dinner.

"My, my…" Ted laughed, glancing at Keven. "Somebody looks unhappy. Don't you think so, Albus?"

Albus looked at Keven. "Hmm, I quite agree. I wonder what happened to him to put him in such a foul mood this fine day?"

Keven glared at them. "I am in the room, you know. And you'd be in a foul mood too, if you'd just spent the last two hours getting magically pelted with pillows." He looked over at Ted. "It was _your_ little girlfriend that started it all. Then my own sister betrayed me, followed closely by _your_ sister, Albus."

Ted pulled Keven aside while Albus collapsed in helpless laughter. "For one thing, just because I fancy a girl, that doesn't make her my girlfriend. And for another thing, it's just friendship on Angel's part. She doesn't even know I fancy her."

"Oh, she knows, the manipulative little thing." Keven told him what had happened in Transfiguration that morning. When he finished, Ted stared at him thoughtfully. An evil grin spread slowly across his face.

"And how long did they say they'd be in the library?" Ted asked Keven.

"They said about two hours. Why?"

"Long enough. Come on!" Ted grabbed Albus and Keven and dragged them up to their dorm to explain his plan for revenge.

Almost two hours later, they heard the Fat Lady begin to caterwaul, attempting to sing an opera tune. They stood up against the far wall, and readied their wands. When the girls stepped through the portrait, chatting innocently, they were immediately pelted with the pillows from the girls' dorm. The girls shrieked when the first pillows hit them, then wrinkled their noses in distaste. The pillows had been drenched in the most obnoxious odor they could find in the boys' dormitories, which happened to be Ted's favorite cologne. Lily and Cissa immediately pulled out their wands and started casting spells to block the pillows. Angel picked up on the spell they were using and started blocking the pillows as well.

"So I assume you didn't get your DADA homework done?" Angel asked Keven as she blocked the pillows that randomly flew her way.

Ted stopped flinging pillows for a second. "You had homework from Professor Malfoy, and we helped you neglect it to get revenge?" Angel took advantage of Ted's momentary distraction and sent a pillow flying over to hit Ted in the face. Lily and Cissa copied Angel, and turned the wall of pillows at their feet into a stockpile of ammunition to be used against the boys.

"Never mind that now," Keven shouted. "I'll do it after dinner. Concentrate on getting the girls! They're starting to fight back!"

Soon, pillows were flying back and forth across the common room, some making it across to find their target, some colliding in mid-air. Students not involved in the pillow war were ducking and scurrying across the common room as they prepared for dinner, lest they be hit by a flying Ted-scented pillow. Angel laughed when she saw a seventh-year boy doing a military crawl across the common room floor, and couldn't resist flinging a pillow his way. The boy looked up when the pillow smacked him on the back of the head.

"Hey!" he yelled. "What was that for?"

"Sorry!" Angel called back, grinning unrepentantly. "Welcome to the Casualties of War Club!" Angel scored a hit on Albus, who was too busy aiming a pillow at his sister to see it coming. The Fat Lady's portrait swung open just as Ted flung a pillow at Angel, who saw it coming and dodged behind a sofa. The common room, previously filled with laughter, went silent as all the pillows dropped to the floor. Angel looked around to see who had come in, and saw Professor Draco Malfoy standing in front of the open portrait with an incriminating pillow at his feet. Feathers from the pillows littered every surface, and every eye was on Professor Malfoy. "Who is responsible for this mess?" he bit out, enunciating every word.

Everyone dropped their gaze to the floor, and covertly glanced over to Ted, Albus, and Keven. Professor Malfoy looked at the boys.

"You three!" he barked suddenly, causing everyone to jump. "Two hours detention tonight. Meet me in my office after dinner. The rest of you, get this mess cleaned up. Angel, I wanted to talk to you, but it can wait until the common room is clean. I'll be in my office. Get moving!" He turned around and walked away stiffly. As soon as the portrait swung shut, someone let out a snicker that seemed to release everyone from their trance. Soon the common room was filled with laughter again as everyone worked to clean up the mess they'd made. The younger students sent the pillows to the older students to be cleaned, and the older students sent them magically back to the girls' dorm. Angel managed to sneak one past the older students, though. That night, she'd fall asleep on a pillow scented of Ted.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a few original characters and the plotline! If I did own it all, do you think I'd be scrounging for enough money so that I can eat lunch at college ****everyday****Hmm?**** No…if you recognize the characters, they belong to JKR. If you don't, they belong to me.**

At breakfast the next morning, Angel was unusually quiet. She'd fallen asleep the night before hugging her Ted-scented pillow, and wondering if there was a spell that could make an object hold a scent forever. As soon as she got the chance, she intended to search the library to find that sme—er, spell.

So immersed in her thoughts, Angel didn't notice the worried glances the others kept shooting at her. Finally, Cissa decided to speak up.

"So…when Father talked to you last night, you didn't get in trouble for the pillow fight, did you?" She asked Angel.

"Hmm? Oh, er…no, I didn't get in trouble for the Great Pillow Fight. Why do you ask?"

"You just seem quieter than normal, and I was wondering if it was because you got in trouble last night. And the Great Pillow Fight is an awesome name for it!" Cissa explained.

Angel blushed and glanced at Ted, wondering if anyone guessed the real reason she was so quiet. She'd slept better and had more pleasant dreams the night before than she had since the night her parents died. Ted, noticing the blush, winked at her and smiled. _Ohmigod_ thought Angel, panicking. _He knows. He knows I kept a pillow scented with his cologne._ She blushed harder. Ted smirked and surreptitiously blew her a small kiss.

Angel was saved from having to respond when Cissa asked, "So if you weren't in trouble, what did Father want to talk to you about?"

Angel turned away from Ted and looked at Cissa. "When I left his class yesterday, I talked to him about a bookstore I knew of that was filled with Dark artifacts. He told me it would be taken care of as soon as possible. He wanted to talk to me last night so he could tell me he'd reported it to the Ministry, who had promptly organized a raid and confiscated all the Dark artifacts found in the shop. So basically, I can go back to my favorite coffee shop and bookstore without fear of encountering any Dark artifacts."

Lily glanced up from the copy of the _Daily Prophet_she'd had delivered that morning. "Yeah, I read about that a few minutes ago. So is that why you were so quiet?"

"Yeah, I was thinking about how much I loved that shop, and all along, I never realized there were so many evil things all around me. Professor Malfoy said some of the items seized in the raid were coated in a slow-acting potion that would completely paralyze anyone who touched it with bare skin. What if I'd touched one of those items as I browsed through the shop? Or what if I'd touched the book of death spells that was coated with a killing potion?"

"Merlin, that's enough to make anyone go quiet," Ted replied, looking unusually pale.

The moment of grimness was broken by the approach of Luna and Lupa.

"We heard about the pillow fight. Congratulations on finding a prank we hadn't thought of yet!" Luna grinned.

"Yeah, you guys will go down in the annals of Hogwarts pranksters as the instigators of the Great Pillow Fight!" Lupa clapped Angel on the back.

"Well Keven, Ted, and Albus deserve the credit for that one. They started it, we were just defending ourselves!" laughed Angel.

"Ha ha, very funny," Ted groused. "At least you guys don't have to deal with Professor Malfoy in class today. He will be awful to Gryffindors in general today; and me in particular, since I was the one who smacked him in the face with a pillow." He sent a mock glare in Angel's direction. "It's all your fault too. It wouldn't have hit him if you hadn't dodged."

Angel laughed. "Well if you're going to start placing the blame, it should really be on you guys. You started it, after all!"

"Just wait, I'll get you later," he threatened, grinning. "Besides, you started it when you declared it Pick-on-Keven Day yesterday. If you hadn't done that, we wouldn't have needed to get revenge."

"Y'know, sitting here watching you two flirt is making me lose my appetite," Albus interjected, laughing at his friend. "Don't we have class in about…oh, I don't know…five minutes? And isn't that class _way_ up at the top of the North Tower? You remember, don't you Ted? Our Divination class?"

Ted looked at his watch. "Oh shit! We'd better run! I'll see you later, Angel." Lily and Cissa giggled when he leaned down and gave Angel a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying off.

"Oooh, Ted and Angel, sitting in a tree, S-N-O-GG-I-N-G," Lily sang, smiling widely.

"He definitely fancies you," giggled Cissa. Keven just rolled his eyes and went back to eating his breakfast.

"Come on, guys," Angel protested, blushing profusely. "He's like, _sixteen._ Even if he did fancy me, which I'm not sure he does, he's _way_ too old for me. He's probably just messing with me, like he would a little sister."

"Notice Albus didn't give _me _a kiss on the cheek," Lily teased.

"What class do we have first today?" Angel asked in a desperate bid to change the subject.

"Potions," Keven replied. "And we'd better get moving if we're going to make it on time. I hear Professor Snape is downright evil to anyone daring enough to walk into his class late."

Snape proved to be every bit as evil as predicted, favoring the Slytherins and turning a blind eye to mistakes he docked points for when it came to a Gryffindor student. By the end of class, every Gryffindor hated Snape. Angel was sure the feeling was mutual, though she didn't think he hated her as much as the others. She would be able to confirm that during her next Potions class.

The awfulness of their morning Potions class was offset by their Herbology class. They all thought Herbology would be dull and boring, but Professor Longbottom loved his subject, and he made it interesting. Angel didn't want to go to Transfigurations; she'd promised the others she'd talk to Professor Ginny about joining the Quidditch team. She wanted to be on the Quidditch team, but she knew first years weren't allowed to try out. She didn't want to seem presumptuous in asking Professor Ginny to make an exception for her. But after thinking it over, she realized she'd merely told them she'd talk to her; she hadn't said when she'd do it.

As they were leaving their Transfigurations class, however, Professor Ginny stopped Angel and asked to speak with her.

"The Professors Weasley told me what happened yesterday in your Flying class. What you did was very brave, Angel. Foolish, but brave. They also mentioned that your friends wanted you to ask me about joining the Quidditch team. While I want Gryffindor to win the Quidditch cup this year, we have an excellent team and I simply cannot justify making and exception to the rules. If I allowed you to join, I would have to open up tryouts to all _first_ years. I cannot take the risk of one of them getting injured because they tried out for Quidditch before learning how to fly. I hope you understand and aren't too disappointed, Miss Markham," she explained.

"I understand. In fact, I was thinking along the same lines. I honestly wasn't going to talk to you until closer to the end of the year." Angel grinned. "I only told them I'd talk to you about it; I never said _when_ I'd do it."

Professor Ginny chuckled. "Well, having said my piece, I suppose I need to let you go to class. Percy would murder me if I mad you late to his first class. I'll see you tomorrow, and don't forget to read chapter one. I'll give you a bit of a heads-up; there'll be a quiz over it tomorrow."

"Thanks, Professor," Angel smiled and then went to class. She sat down next to her friends just as the History of Magic professor walked in. He began to take attendance as Angel quickly warned her friends about the Transfigurations quiz the next day.

"Hello, class. As I suspect you've noticed, Hogwarts is overrun with Professors Weasley this year. To reduce confusion, I will ask you to simply call me Professor Percy. Many of you have already begun this practice with Professor Malfoy and Professor Ginny, so it shouldn't be that much of a stretch for you." He looked annoyed for a second. "I would much prefer to be called Professor Weasley, but as my brother, the Care of Magical Creatures professor, has already taken that title, I will settle for Professor Percy. Now turn in your books to page forty-two. In 890 BC…"

History of Magic was known to be a dull subject, but Professor Percy livened it up a bit. In fact, their assignment for that night was to read the section on the Goblin Rebellion of 892 BC, write a skit with a small group, and be prepared to perform the skit in their next class. Professor Percy was a good teacher, and enthusiastic about his subject. His enthusiasm was inevitably contagious; even the most avid haters of history found themselves enjoying the class. All in all, it was a good day. They had a few hours before dinner, and the boys went down to the Quidditch field to get in a bit of flying, leaving the girls with the common room to themselves.

"Y'know," Lily brought up thoughtfully. "Now would be the perfect time to pull a prank on the boys. Revenge for yesterday, and all that."

Angel looked up from her History of Magic textbook. "Yeah, I know. Got any ideas?"

Cissa turned from the desk where she'd been writing a letter to her great-aunt Fiona. "That scent they doused the pillows with was a bit obnoxious when it was that strong. What say we pay them back with an obnoxious scent of our own?"

Lily and Angel stared at Cissa in surprise. "What are you thinking of?" they asked her.

"Oh, nothing much. Just a charm Father uses on the neighbors when they annoy him. It's a permanent spell, there is no spell to reverse it. You just have to let it wear off. Which it takes months to do. It's an American-made spell known as the Skunk Charm. It produces the most awful smell, and really strong. It's confined to the area specified. Shall we?"

Angel and Lily looked at each other and grinned. "Teach us the spell. Three casters equals three times as strong, right? I vote we fill all air freshener cans in the room with the same smell, and if we drag Luna and Lupa in on it, we can have them transfigure the guys' cologne into girls' perfume…" Angel trailed off.

"Oh yes. Let's do it!" Lily laughed.

They snuck up to the boys' dorm, where Cissa showed them the spell. The girls gagged at the stench, then grinned and cast the spell. The stench tripled. They filled the aerosol cans with the stench, filched the boys' cologne and went to find the twins. The twins transfigured the cologne into bubblegum-and-fruit scented perfume, and went with the girls when they returned the bottles to their places. Then they went back to the common room and waited, reading their Transfigurations chapter to pass the time.

Ted, Albus, and Keven came in about half an hour before dinner, and went up to their dorm to change. Angel kept an eye on the second hand of her watch, and precisely five seconds later, they stumbled out, coughing and gagging.

"Merlin's beard! What is that _awful_ stench?" Ted choked out. Albus was coughing uncontrollably, and Keven looked like he was about to vomit. Angel, Lily, Cissa, and the twins burst out laughing and the boys looked at them suspiciously.

"You wouldn't happen to know why our dorm reeks of some unidentified, utterly obnoxious stench, would you?" Ted asked, glaring at the girls. It only made them laugh harder.

"If—your dorm—reeks so bad—maybe you should—try using the air freshener!" Angel was laughing so hard she could barely talk.

Ted sent Albus up to attempt using the air freshener to lessen the stench. When Albus came out, he made a flying dash to the loo. They could hear him retching up everything he'd eaten that day, which made the girls collapse in peals of helpless laughter.

Albus emerged a few minutes later. "No one…touches…the air freshener. Whoever did this," he pinned the highly amused girls with a very _un_amused glare, "also filled the aerosol cans with the same stench. You wouldn't happen to know who did this, would you? I can tell you this, the culprits can expect absolutely _no_ mercy."

"Wait a minute…I know that smell!" Keven exclaimed suddenly, glaring at his twin sister, who had tears rolling down her cheeks from laughing so hard. "It's the same smell Father uses on the neighbors when they annoy him. You did this, didn't you, Cissa?"

Cissa nodded unrepentantly. "You know it's not reversible, don't you? You just have to wait until it wears off," she told them before collapsing in laughter again.

_"__Accio_ robes! _Accio_ toiletries!" Ted cried, pointing his wand at the dorm. His robes and toiletries floated down the stairs into his waiting hands. The others soon followed suit, then groaned when they realized the smell had seeped into their clothing. They went into the bathroom to shower and change before dinner. The boys stormed out several minutes later, cursing violently.

"Dammit! You even managed to get to our cologne! A man's cologne is sacred to him!" Albus groused.

"Yeah," Ted agreed. "A man's cologne is one of those things you just don't mess with!"

"We do!" The girls cackled.

"Revenge is sweet," Angel giggled evilly.

"Oh, just wait," Keven threatened. "We'll get you back for this one.

"Expect no mercy!" Ted laughed maniacally.

The conversation at dinner that evening consisted of prank ideas and threats back and flying back and forth between the two genders, and the rest of the Gryffindors scheming and plotting on ways to avoid being caught in the middle of it all. No one seemed to want to become a casualty of the Gryffindor Prank War.

But when it came down to it, Angel knew they were all friends. _Heaven help anyone outside our little group who messes with one of us,_ Angel thought as she and Ted walked hand in hand down to the Care of Magical Creatures hut for Angel's detention. _If anyone else tries anything, they'll have all of us to deal with._ Angel looked up at Ted and smiled. It was good to have friends.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a few original characters and the plotline! If I did own it all, do you think I'd be scrounging for enough money so that I can eat lunch at college ****everyday****Hmm?**** No…if you recognize the characters, they belong to JKR. If you don't, they belong to me.**

As the term progressed, everyone grew more and more excited about the first Quidditch match of the season. Even the Gryffindor Prank War slacked off, due to the fact that no one wanted to distract Albus or Ted, who were both on the Gryffindor team. The tension built and built, and exploded frequently. It exploded even more frequently once the announcement came about who they'd be playing. The very first match of the season would be Slytherin vs. Gryffindor. The rivalry between the two Houses increased until the other Houses completely avoided any place where Gryffindors might come into contact with Slytherins. Many of them began taking their meals in their rooms. Professors played favorites, and it was rumored that Professor Ginny had hexed Professor Malfoy for merely suggesting that Slytherin might win. The only ones seemingly unaffected were the headmaster and Professor Percy. If anything, Professor Percy seemed more lenient when he graded essays.

No one thought tensions could get any higher. They were wrong. Everyone knew something was up when the headmaster decreed that all Houses come to the Great Hall for dinner one evening. When everyone was seated, the headmaster stood up.

"If I may have your attention, please?" he asked, tapping his glass on the table and somehow making it sound as if he were banging a gavel. "You may be wondering why I've called all of you to dinner this evening. I wish to make an important announcement, and I only wish to make it once. A former student of Hogwarts and one-time Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team wishes to visit Hogwarts and attend our Quidditch matches. So with no further introductions, I give you…" he trailed off dramatically, grinning widely. "…Chudley Cannons Keeper OLIVER WOOD!"

The Great Hall's rafters rang with the screams and cheers of the students. Slytherins, Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Gryffindors alike clapped and cheered, hooted and hollered as Oliver Wood entered the Great Hall. Professors grinned at each other, remembering their school days when Wood had been Captain of the Gryffindor team and looking forward to reliving old times later on. Professor Malfoy was smirking reminiscently, and even Professor Snape was seen with his lips twitching suspiciously.

Oliver Wood walked to the head table, and took an empty seat next to Professor Percy, who was grinning idiotically. He waited for the applause to die down, then stood up.

"Thank you for that wonderful introduction, Professor Potter. And thank you, Hogwarts, for the wonderful welcome. Primarily, I'm here for my own enjoyment. However, when my coach heard I was coming to Hogwarts for the season, he asked me to keep an eye out for any new talent that may be useful to the team. So I'm also here as sort of a talent scout, as well. I'm telling you this to explain the reason behind a favorite saying of mine: play hard, play fair, and play to win. That's all I'm asking of you this season. Have fun and play your best! Thank you." He sat back down as the headmaster stood up.

"And now," he said. "The speeches are over, so let the feast begin!"

The food appeared magically, and everyone dug in, talking excitedly. That night, no one could sleep. And in the weeks to come, tensions would rise higher than ever. Many of the Quidditch players took to wandering the halls, simply to escape the pressure from their Houses that they faced in the common rooms.

Angel occasionally went with Ted on his wanderings. They walked, they talked, they held hands. Ted never had to ask her, she simply knew when he wanted company and when he didn't. Lounging in the common room one day though, Ted stood up and held his hand out to Angel.

"Walk with me?" he asked simply.

She took his hand and they left the common room. They wandered the halls aimlessly, and chatted just as aimlessly. Angel knew Ted had something more important on his mind than meaningless chatter, though. Just outside the empty History of Magic classroom, she stopped and turned to Ted.

"Why did you ask me to come with you today?" She asked. "It wasn't for this. I know you better than that, Ted."

Ted sighed. "You're right. I wanted to talk to you, but it's…kind of personal. Do you mind…maybe…taking this in there?" He motioned toward the History of Magic classroom.

"Sure, no problem." Angel took his hand and opened the door. She walked into the classroom and stopped, staring in shock. Ted, not paying attention, walked straight into Angel.

"What the…" he muttered.

"Shh. Look." Angel pointed into a dark corner of the room. Ted looked, and almost gasped in shock. Oliver Wood had backed Professor Percy into a corner and was snogging him senseless! What made it worse, in Ted's mind, was the fact that Professor Percy was snogging him back, obviously enjoying it. Then Ted noticed Oliver was grinding his hips into Professor Percy's. If they'd been naked, Ted would have thought they were having sex, what with the movements and noises they were making. Ted stumbled backwards toward the door, taking an entranced Angel with him. Once outside the classroom and safely away from the door, Ted burst out laughing uncontrollably. Angel, who'd been holding her breath since the first glimpse of her professor and his male lover, let it all out on a long, wistful sigh.

"Oh…my…god! I cannot believe I just saw that!" Ted giggled, still half in shock. "I must have been hallucinating. Yes, that's it. I was hallucinating, and I didn't really see the famous Oliver Wood snogging Professor Percy!" He grinned at having worked this out.

"If you were hallucinating, then it was a mass hallucination, because I saw it too. Only I saw a lot more than just the two of them snogging like their lives depended on it." Angel laughed shakily.

Ted frowned at her. "Damn, you saw it too. That means it wasn't a hallucination. And bloody hell, I was trying to forget that other part! Burn it from my mind or whatever!" He groaned, cradling his face in his hands.

"Oh but _why_?" Angel asked, smiling. "That was so damn hot I couldn't breathe!"

"It was but…wait, what did I just say? Did I just agree with you?" Ted looked confused for a moment. "No I didn't just say that…I couldn't have. I'm straight for goodness' sake!"

Laughing openly, Angel hugged him. "Does this mean I have to worry about you dumping me for some really hot guy, or do we get to share him between us?"

"Wait…what? You're…okay with that possibility? You're not the least bit freaked out by it? I mean, just like that, you're okay with it?" Ted looked at her shyly, hope shining in his face.

"Yes, just like that, you dolt! Hell, Ted…I'd even give away all of my computers if it would make you happy. I'm going to go out on a limb here, because if you don't know it already you're a numbskull…I love you, Ted. I am in love with you, and I'd do just about anything if it meant making you happy. If you go and decide you're bisexual, that's fine by me as long as you don't leave me for some guy. You can have your men as long as you share. Besides, didn't I just say I thought that little scene was so damn hot? What makes you think I'd object to you being bi?"

"Merlin, Angel, I…don't know what to say, other than…I love you too, I'll never leave you for another guy, and thank you for supporting any choice I may make. Though give me a little time to think about this whole bisexual thing. I'm not sure, and until I'm sure, don't say anything to anyone, okay?" Ted leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss.

"Okay," Angel agreed. "But we'd better get back, before the others send out a search party after us."

They walked back the way they'd come and when they passed the History of Magic classroom, they opened the door and peeked in. Both of them were disappointed when they found the classroom was empty. They looked at each other, grinning. They knew why the two men had left the classroom, and they figured they knew where the men had gone. They continued on to the common room, knowing without saying that each would keep the professor's secret.

If Ted was quiet or tense over the next few days, everyone attributed it to the coming match. After all, the fate of the match rested square on Ted and Albus's shoulders. Ted, as the Keeper, was responsible for seeing that the other team didn't score any goals. Albus, as the Seeker was responsible for catching the Golden Snitch, which would end the game and give their team 150 points. No one, not even Albus and Keven, suspected the truth.

The day of the match finally came. Everyone was on the Quidditch pitch early; no one wanted to miss a second of the all-important first match. The Slytherin team was an intimidating bunch, chosen more for size than brains or strategic ability. The Gryffindor team, however, was chosen for skill and strategy. Both teams wanted victory, and both teams were willing to do whatever it took (inside the rules) to win. It promised to be a good match, and was. The game had been going for a solid hour before anyone scored, and every Gryffindor was disappointed to see it was Slytherin that scored. Soon Gryffindor was twenty points behind, and no sign of the Snitch. The crowd roared as Albus suddenly went into a dive. He pulled out of the dive, racing around the pitch, chasing something only he could see. He stretched out a hand, then stopped abruptly, throwing his arm in the air. He'd caught the Snitch! The Gryffindor side of the crowd went nuts, screaming and cheering when they realized they'd won. They poured onto the field, hoisted Albus, Ted, and the rest of the team on their shoulders, and carried them into the locker rooms. There would be a celebration that night in Gryffindor Tower.

Due to all the excitement, no one noticed the pair of figures that snuck away from the field and up to the Gryffindor common room. And no one noticed the other pair of figures that snuck away from the field and up to the teachers' chambers.

When the exuberant Gryffindors finally got back to their common room, the first thing they noticed was that the Fat Lady was just a bit tipsy. The second thing they noticed was that there were four cases of Firewhiskey sitting beneath her portrait. The older students grinned, then confiscated all four cases. Couldn't let the younger students get into such potent stuff, after all.

Angel grinned at Ted. "I'll be right back," she said, and then peeled off from the back of the group and headed down the hallway.

"Where are you going?" he asked her.

"My little secret. Suffice to say I'll be back in a few minutes."

She waited until everyone had entered the common room, then took out the Marauder's Map. She tapped it with her wand.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," she whispered, and checked the map. She headed off down the hall. A few minutes later, she burst through the portrait into the common room, arms laden with food.

"Where did you get all this?" Albus asked, amazed.

"My little secret," laughed Angel.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a few original characters and the plotline! If I did own it all, do you think I'd be scrounging for enough money so that I can eat lunch at college ****everyday****Hmm?**** No…if you recognize the characters, they belong to JKR. If you don't, they belong to me.**

Later, when most of the younger Gryffindors had gone to bed, the Firewhiskey was brought out. About five shots later, everyone was a bit tipsy…except Angel. She'd taken the same number of shots as everyone else; she just wasn't feeling it. Someone suggested the classic game of Truth or Dare, and everyone was just drunk enough to agree.

Albus started it off by asking Angel, "Truth or Dare?"

"Truth," she replied, playing it safe.

"Alright, how and where did you get all the food earlier?"

"Erm…" Angel hedged, remembering her promise not to tell anyone about the Marauder's Map. "What's the punishment?"

"Oh..erm…three shots." Albus hadn't thought she'd refuse, so he hadn't thought about the punishment.

"Yeah…I'll take the shots," Angel said. Ted poured her shots, and she took them one right after the other. It didn't taste bad, but with a name like Firewhiskey, she'd have thought it would have more of a burn. _Oh well_, she thought. _Maybe it's just not that strong._ She'd had cheap Muggle whiskey with more of a burn than this.

She took the next turn, and asked Narcissa, "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," replied Narcissa with a smirk. She knew she'd surprised them all.

"Alright…I dare you…"Angel paused dramatically, "to slink over to Albus and kiss him passionately!" Angel, being the girl she was, giggled evilly.

Albus's eyes went wide with panic as an uncharacteristically sensual grin appeared on Cissa's face. She bent forward, and crawled sexily over to Albus. He'd been slouched in a recliner with his legs spread lazily, but now he seemed frozen in that position. Cissa rose up on her knees between his legs and, well, _slinked_ up his body to kiss him full on the mouth. His arms wrapped reflexively around her. Just as he began to kiss her back, she pulled away.

Staying in his arms, she turned to Angel. "Was that enough, or shall I keep going?"

Angel laughed. "Oh, that was enough to satisfy the dare, but if you want to keep going, by all means, continue!"

"No, I think that's enough for now," Cissa laughed. She wriggled around until she was sitting comfortably in Albus's lap. "Though I do think I'll just stay here for the rest of the night." She grinned, and snuggled into Albus, who just looked pained as she wriggled in his lap.

"Now," Cissa pinned the group with a mean look, then laughed as her gaze settled on Keven. "My turn. Truth or dare, Keven?" A vague, panicked look skittered across Keven's face before he replied, "Dare."

Cissa grinned. "Good. I dare you to tell Lily right now how you really feel about her."

Keven gulped, then squeaked, "What happens if I don't?" Even Angel was scared by the demonic look on Cissa's face at this point. She had to give Keven points for even asking.

"If you don't take the dare," Cissa replied silkily, "you have to kiss Professor Snape, tell him you love him, and propose to him tomorrow in front of the entire class."

They gasped as a whole. That punishment was truly _evil_, and highly likely to get the punished person hexed into oblivion. If Keven managed to survive the hexing, he'd be the laughingstock of the school until he graduated. Silently, they all vowed never to take a single dare from Cissa Malfoy. The girl was _demonic_!

Keven turned to Lily. "Lily…erm…I wasn't ready to tell you this yet, but…apparently I'm being forced into it. So…Lily, I love you. I don't know how it happened, or when, but I love you. I'll…understand if you don't feel the same." He glared at Cissa. "Happy now, bitch?"

Cissa smiled blissfully. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I am."

Lily looked shell-shocked. "What…how…you mean you knew about that, Cissa? Why didn't you tell me?"

"He made me swear not to tell. He never said anything about not forcing _him_ to tell."

Keven glared at his sister again. "You're evil. You should have been a Slytherin, y'know?"

She grinned. "Yes, I know. Now it's your turn, though."

"Not yet, it's not." Lily looked up at Keven. "You don't have to worry about how I feel, Keven. I think I've loved you since I was old enough to know what love is. I wanted you to know that so you didn't worry, but we can talk things out when we don't have so much of an…audience. Take your turn, love." She smiled at him.

"Okay, erm…Luna. Truth or Dare?"

"Oh, dare, definitely dare," she replied, grinning.

"I dare you…to ask Salazar Snape out, and if he says yes, take him to Madam Puddifoot's on the next Hogsmeade weekend."

"Hmm, alright. He's an evil git, but he's actually kind of cute." Luna smirked. "I doubt he'll agree, but I'll try."

Keven looked disappointed. "Damn, and I thought that would be a good one."

"Erm…Ted. Truth or Dare?" Luna smiled.

Ted looked nervous. "Truth?"

"Okay, are you and Angel an item? I mean, are you together?"

Ted glanced over at Angel. "Truthfully, I don't know. We…hadn't really talked about it. So…Lupa. Truth or Dare?"

"Dare. As if it could possibly be anything else!"

Okay, I know you fancy someone. If they're in Gryffindor and in this room, give that person a lap dance. Now."

Everyone watched as Lupa stood up and slowly danced her way over to Orion Black, then lowered herself into his lap. The next day, Orion could be heard saying that was the best lap dance he'd ever had.

Lupa looked around. "Well, I was going to get Marika, but apparently she can't hold her liquor. Erm…Markus. Truth or Dare?"

"Dare, of course!" Markus laughed. He probably should have been scared at the evil grin crossing Lupa's face, but the liquor prevented that.

"Okay. Markus Black, Mr. Self-Proclaimed Gryffindore Man-Whore, I dare you to snog one Ted Lupin completely speechless in no more than five minutes. Since he and Angel aren't technically a couple…mwa-hahahahahaha!!!!"

"Not a problem. Any bets going up on how long it's going to take?"

"I've got a Sickle on four minutes," Cissa spoke up.

"No, I've got two Sickles on the full five minutes," Keven disagreed.

Angel laughed. "I've got two Galleons on two minutes," she wagered. Everyone still sober enough for it to register gaped in shock.

"Okay, let's see how long this takes." Markus stumbled over to Ted, who was looking nervous.

"Do we really have to do this?" he asked.

"Hmm, let's see. Do I really want to take Lupa's punishment? No, I don't think so. She's almost as bad as Cissa. So yes, we really have to do this. Not that it's a hardship for me." Markus grinned. Then he leaned down and captured Ted's lips in a kiss. Mere seconds later, a moan was heard issuing from Ted's throat as he threaded his fingers through Markus's shaggy black hair to hold him in place.

The girls watching the Gryffindor Kiss, as it came to be called, were fanning themselves frantically. The guys were looking at their watches, their girlfriends, even the walls, in a desperate attempt to avoid looking at two of their male and supposedly straight friends snogging on one of the common room sofas. Two minutes on the dot after the kiss began, Ted's hands slipped out of Markus's hair as Markus pulled back. He moved away from his friend to reveal the raging hard-on he'd given Ted, and everyone watched as Ted's head lolled back, eyes closed. They waited for Ted to open his eyes and say something, but they waited in vain.

"Is he dead?" whispered Lily uncertainly.

"He's still breathing," Markus answered.

"Merlin, Markus, you kissed him unconscious!" laughed Cissa drunkenly.

"More like he passed out because he was drunk," Angel replied dryly. If Ted remembered this in the morning, he'd be so embarrassed. But hey, at least he wouldn't have to worry about whether or not he was bisexual. He'd know for sure now…if he remembered.

"Well, considering _I'm_ about to pass out myself," Markus announced, "I think it's about time to call it a night. G'night everybody."

Everyone got up and staggered off to bed, knowing they'd have a hell of a hangover in the morning.


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but a few original characters and the plotline! If I did own it all, do you think I'd be scrounging for enough money so that I can eat lunch at college ****everyday****Hmm?**** No…if you recognize the characters, they belong to JKR. If you don't, they belong to me.**

The morning dawned bright and clear, much to the Gryffindors' dismay., Their night of drunken revelry had produced migraines of gargantuan proportions. As a consequence, their morning Flying class was miserable. And to add to their misery, Professors Fred and George were undeniably cheerful, which for them meant loud and boisterous.

"Okay, what's wrong with you guys? You're all acting like you have hangovers!" Professor Fred exclaimed.

"Yeah, it's not like you had alcohol last night or anything." Professor George commented, eyes twinkling.

"Erm, actually, we did consume large amounts of Firewhiskey last night," Angel laughed. Somehow, she'd managed to escape the hangover epidemic that plagued the rest of her house.

The professors laughed. "No, actually, you consumed large amounts of a new Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes product," Professor George corrected.

"It's called Weasleys' Best Non-alcoholic Firewhiskey. Looks like Firewhiskey, smells like Firewhiskey, and tastes like Firewhiskey, but without the alcohol. It's even got a potion in it that produces effects similar to those of alcohol, but without the hangover," Professor Fred explained, then looked over at Professor George. "Apparently, we need to tweak that aspect a bit more, George."

"No, I'm evidence that that aspect works just fine. I consumed just as much as they did, but I'm not suffering a migraine right now," Angel commented.

"Hmm, could it just be the power of suggestion? They thought they should have a hangover, so they had one?" Professor George mused.

"But if that's the case, why didn't Angel think she should have a hangover?" Professor Fred countered. They looked at each other. "This bears looking into…" Professor George muttered.

"Class dismissed!" they shouted together.

"Angel, if you could, stay for a few minutes," Professor Fred added. They waited until the class had left before escorting Angel to their office, where they'd set up a mini-workshop.

"Now then, how did the potion work on you and not on the others?" they asked in tandem.

"Well, I don't know. I have an idea, but I really couldn't say for sure without knowing how much exposure the others have had to alcohol. As for myself, I've had quite a bit. Your Firewhiskey had the effects of alcohol, but it just didn't have the burn. That may have tipped my mind off that it wasn't really alcohol. You do need to tweak that. But the others may not have known about the burn, so they thought it was alcohol."

"Hmm, definitely bears looking into. Thanks for your help." Professor Fred held the door open for Angel as she left. Professor George was already working in the lab.

The year went on, and soon it was Christmas. Angel knew she could stay at Hogwarts for the holidays with her friends, but she also knew her mail would have built up at her apartment. So she chose to go home for the hols.

When she got home, that morning's paper was sitting on her doorstep. She picked it up on her way in, and glanced at it as she set her bags down.

"_**FAMILY CLAIMS POLICE BRUTALITY!" **_screamed the front page headline. Angel sat down as she read the article. Apparently, a family was arguing loudly with their teenage son when the people in the next apartment called the police. The officers treated the family as if it was a domestic violence call rather than domestic disturbance. They treated the boy especially roughly upon finding out he was homosexual, and even went so far as breaking the boy's arm. The officers involved claimed he attempted to escape custody; the boy and his parents claimed he did not. Angel was furious when she read this, and made a call to a friend of hers in the police department.

"Detective Smith," came the short answer on the first ring.

"Now what's the use of setting the caller ID to show up on the second ring, if you answer on the first ring?" Angel teased.

"Oh, it's you, Angel. If you're calling about the police brutality case, my secretary locked me out of the filing cabinet again." Jimmy's secretary always seemed to lock him out of the filing cabinet whenever Angel needed more information on a case.

"Huh. I thought you got a copy of the key after that last case," Angel reminded him.

"Well, it's…lost. I can't find it. It's probably somewhere in my apartment. Yes, it's somewhere in my apartment."

"Would a month's supply of the best chocolate you've ever had in your life motivate you to find the key?" If playing on Jimmy's favorite weakness didn't work, the key was well and truly lost.

"Even better than last time?" Jimmy asked hopefully, then caught himself. "No, I will not sell my job for a month's supply of chocolate, even if it is the best I've ever had in my life."

"Two months' supply, and _sooo_ much better than last time," Angel offered. They'd played this game so many times before, she had the rules memorized.

"Deal. Hm, oh look…my key seems to have magically reappeared on my key ring. I'll have the file copied for you, and I'll bring it by when I get off work in an hour."

"Alright, I'll have your chocolate ready and waiting. See you in an hour, sweetie," Angel grinned.

"See you in an hour. Oh, and Angel? Don't call me that. You're young enough to be my daughter, and a minor to boot. I could lose my job if someone heard you call me that!"

"Jimmy, you could lose your job if someone finds out you're selling me information for chocolate. Yet you keep doing it."

"Yes, well apparently, I'd sell my soul if someone offered me chocolate for it," he groused.

"I'll remember that, the next time I think it might be nice to have a soul," Angel laughed. Jimmy just hung up on her.

Angel set about unpacking her things. An hour later, Asylum had been fed, the two-month supply of Honeydukes' chocolate she'd bought for just this occasion was sitting on the counter, and Angel was kicked back in her recliner reading her mail. The doorbell rang, and Jimmy walked in without waiting for Angel's response.

"One of these days you're going to find that door locked when you try that," Angel said as he tossed the file in her lap.

"Yeah, yeah, where's my chocolate?" Jimmy looked around. "I want to make sure it's worth my time and effort."

"On the counter," Angel laughed as she opened the file. Seconds later, she heard paper ripping, and looked up to watch Jimmy try his chocolate. She smirked as a positively indecent moan issued from his throat when he bit into the chocolate, and a look of near-orgasmic pleasure crossed his face. She'd never seen anyone enjoy chocolate as much as Jimmy did.

"Oh my dear God, Angel, where did you find this stuff?" Jimmy asked when he opened his eyes almost a full minute later.

"You ask me that every time, and every time, my answer stays the same. My little secret," she smirked.

"And every time I let you get away with it, just so I can get more chocolate the next time you need information. I'm just glad I don't know what you do with it."

"Well, just think about it. Your cases always get solved faster when you give me information, and always end with the perp's confession, right?"

"Wait…there's no way a little thing like you scares them enough to make them confess their crimes."

"D'you want to stick around this time and find out?" Angel challenged.

"No, I think not. Thanks for the chocolate though. Tastes expensive."

"No, not really. Just…difficult for most people to obtain."


End file.
